Barcelona-born chef Pepe Moncayo fused Spanish and Japanese flavors at his former restaurant Cranes and offered a modern take on Catalan cuisine at short-lived Arrels. His latest gig is something totally new for him. As the new culinary partner at the Tabard Inn, he’s been quietly revamping the Mid-Atlantic menu at the storied Dupont Circle restaurant.
“Being a Spanish guy living in the Mid-Atlantic for the last eight years, it was actually very interesting to really look at what’s going on here, and I learned things I never heard of,” says Moncayo, who also oversees the kitchen at downtown Spanish steakhouse Bully. “I never heard what a hushpuppy is—seriously—or what sorghum is or chow-chow.”
Nonetheless, Moncayo won’t be adding Spanish dishes to the menu—”you won’t see a leg of jámon walking in the dining room.” Rather, he’s aiming to fine-tune the Tabard Inn’s Mid-Atlantic identity, which he says was previously “a bit all over the place.”
For starters, yes, Moncayo did learn what hushpuppies are, and he’s serving them with a honey butter. Other appetizers include a fava bean spread with green strawberry chow-chow and a chilled green tomato soup with pickled cantaloupe and blue crab.
Larger plates range from a rack of lamb with sorghum-black pepper glaze to charcoal-grilled rabbit with carrots served multiple ways—smoked and pureed, roasted, and pickled. Moncayo says he wants to showcase the latest catches from the Chesapeake with seasonal accompaniments like English peas and spring onions.
The brunch menu is also getting a refresh, including popular dishes such as shrimp and grits (with a smoked onion butter) and fried chicken and waffles with hot honey and bacon jam.
While a lot of it is new to Moncayo, he notes that he’s joining a team that includes some staff who’ve been at Tabard Inn for decades.
“I’m not taking over anything, rather I’m joining with them,” he says.
Jessica Sidman covers the people and trends behind DC’s food and drink scene. Before joining Washingtonian in July 2016, she was Food Editor and Young & Hungry columnist at Washington City Paper. She is a Colorado native and University of Pennsylvania grad.
